Road or pavement.



PATENTED DEG. 20, 1904.

P. J. NASH. ROAD O R PAVEMENT. APPLIOATION FILED N0v.25,1903.

N0 MODEL.

A11/ve who ty UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

FREDERIC J. NASH, OF NEIN YORK, N. Y.

ROAD OR PAVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part o1" Letters Patent No. 777,861, datedDecember 20, 1904. Application filed November 25, 1903. Serial No.182,585.

To all whom, t may concern;

Beit known that I, FREDERIC J. NASH, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roads orPavements, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a road or pavement which iseconomical and durable and which possesses more or less elasticity, sothat there is not the wear on the surface layer, as is the case of roadswhich are less or practically non yielding to traic.

IVith these ends mainly in view my invention consists of certainfeatures of construction to be hereinafter described and thenparticularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a cross-section of a road orpavement embodying' the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof a block of cubic form, such as is used in the foundation of the roador pavement for ordinary traffic. Fig. 3 is a vertical section throughthe said block. Fig. 4 is a modification of the block, and Fig. 5 is aview in perspective showing a block adapted for use as a sleeper forrailway-rails.

rlhe present invention makes use of three layers-namely, a lowerfoundation layer a, an intermediate layer b, and a top layer c, whichfurnishes the wear-surface for the traffic, although it will hereinafterbe seen that in one form `of the invention only the construction of thefoundation-blocks is taken advantage of.

In the foundation layer for an ordinary road or pavement blocks CZ ofcubic form are used, which blocks are composed of any suitablematerial-as sand-lime brick, hard-burned brick, or non-vitreous ordevitrified brick. These blocks are desirably in the form of cubesapproximately a foot square. Extending from one face of each block d tothe directly-opposite face is a hole or passage e, and there may be anysuitable number of these holes or passages, there being shown in Fig. 2nine of them. When the block is in use, these holes or passages c extendvertically through the block. It may sometimes be desirable that theholes or passages e flare at their lower ,the block between the holes.

ends, so that thelower portions d of the block between the holes will beof less thickness than those portions at the upper part of These lowerportions thus provide for the block less resisting-surface than theupper part of the block, so that pressure imposed on the upper part ofthe block will cause the lower part of the block to act in the nature ofa wedge, the bottom portions CZ' being substantially of wedge shape. Asthe lower surface of the block (of less superficial area than the uppersurface of the block) rests upon the ground, it will be seen that therewill be a tendency of the ground to enter the lower ends of the holes orpassages when pressure is imposed upon the upper part of the block. Thisis even the case, only in a less degree, when the holes or passages areof practically the same cross-section from end to end. In substance theconnected walls of the block surrounding the holes or passages are tubesstanding on end. rlhese holes or passages are further made use of, aswill presently appear.

In constructing a road or pavement for ordinary traffic, as for horsesand vehicles of various classes or for pedestrians, the trench is firstdug and suitable provision made for the side drains. The bottom of thetrench is then rolled down hard and the blocks laid closely togetherwith the holes or passages extending vertically therethrough, the spacesbetween the blocks being filled with suitable concrete-as, for instance,'a mixture of half sand and half cement. Sand is then spread over thefoundation layer a of blocks (Z, filling the holes or passages c, enoughsand being spread on the blocks to form an intermediate layer b of sandabout one inch in depth. Over the layer of sand is then placed thesurface layer c, of any suitable material which will stand wear imposedupon it by the traffic. It will be seen that when the weight of traiicis imposed upon the' blocks the sand layer and the sand columns f willgive more or less, depending upon the force with which the blocks tendto enter the ground on which they rest. Not only is the road or pavementwhich is shown more or less elastic and, in fact, more so than where foundation-blocks and a surface IOO or wear layer without the sand isused, but the sand layer and the sand columns provide means fordeadening the sound.

This invention may be made use of in the construction of railways, andin Fig. 5 is shown a railway-rail g, which rests upon a sleeper It,which is composed of any suitable material and which is practically thesame as the cubic blocks before described, for the reason that itcontains vertical holes or passages c', which preferably iare at theirlower ends and are filled with sand y'. The passages z' are arranged inpreferably zigzag series, so as to be located under the base of the railg, resting on the sleeper. It will be seen that not only are the partsof the block upon which the rail rests more elastic than usual, but thatthe noise is deadened more or less.

lt must be clearly understood that in no form of my invention are thegrains of sand used in the sand mass, whether in the intermediate layeror in the sand columns, cemented together.

The top layer of the road and the rails of the railroad may be and arealluded to in a claim or claims as a wear portion,77 and it will beunderstood that in both cases the sand columns are not acted on bydirect impact of the tractive load or rolling-stocl- Having thusdescribed my invention and Witlioutlimiting myself to details, whatlclaim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

l. A structure for roads or pavements, comprising' a lower or foundationlayer of blocks provided with holes or passages extending from top tobottom through them, granular columns in the holes or passages composedof non-cemented material, exemplified by sand, and a superposed wearportion imposing its weight or pressure upon the said foundation,substantially for the purpose set forth.

2. A structure for roads or pavements, comprising a lower or foundationlayer of blocks provided with holes or passages extending from top tobottom through them, sand columns in the holes or passages composed ofnon-cemented grains of sand, a wear or surface layer, and anintermediate layer of sand, upon the said blocls,substantially for thepurpose set forth.

3. A structure for roads or pavements, comprising a lower or foundationlayer of blocks provided with holes or passages extending from top tobottom through them, a wear or surface layer, and an intermediate layerof sand, upon the said blocks, substantially for the purpose set forth.

4. A structure for roads or pavements, comprising a lower or foundationlayer of blocks provided with holes or passages extending from top tobottom through them, said holes or passages flaring at their lower ends,sand columns in the holes or passage-s composed of non-cemented grainsof sand, and a superposed wear portion imposingl its weight or pressureupon the said foundation, substantially for the purpose set forth.

5. A structure for roads or pavements, comprising a lower or foundationlayer of blocks provided with holes or passages extending from top tobottom through them, said holes or passages flaring at their lower ends,sand columns in the holes or passages composed of non-cemented grains ofsand, a wear or surface layer, and an intermediate layerof sand, uponthe said blocks, substantially for the purpose set forth.

6. A structure for roads or pavements, comprising a lower or foundationlayer of blocks provided with holes or passages extending from top tobottom through them, said holes or passages flaring at their lower ends,a wear or surface layer, and an intermediate layer of sand, upon thesaid blocks, substantially for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

5 FREDERIC J. NASH. Witnesses:

Guo. L. VVi-mnLooK, EUGENE N. RoBrNsoN.

